Reviews

Here we have it folks - Shopping King Louie Joseon Edition!

It pretty much was, you can't deny it. However, all jokes aside, I cannot deny that I immensely enjoyed watching this drama. Without a shadow of a doubt I looked forward to each episode which brightened my Monday and Tuesday evenings (which are pretty grim), as the whole drama was just sweet and oh so refreshing. I absolutely loved it. If you are wavering about this drama, please give it a go, it was amazing.

I'll actually begin my review with the acting and cast. It was lovely to see Kyungsoo as a main male lead, he pulled off the role incredibly well and proved his acting ability. I loved whenever he would get triggered by things and go "Oh hO!!" lmao. D.O. is clearly an amazing actor and that goes without saying. Nam Ji Hyun was also good, but I have to say that it felt like Kyungsoo was the one who shone between the two of them and pretty much made the drama - but I suppose it was inevitable by the way in which the show had been written. Nam Ji Hyun has proven before that she can play some stronger women roles, like in Suspicious Partner, so I thought it was alright. Jo Sung Ha was brilliant as expected but what I really enjoyed were the characters in the village! God it was so sweet that I felt like I wanted to live there at times lmao. The second lead syndrome was there for me in this one - it wasn't too much because the guy pretty much knew he had no chance from the start and didn't really make a move (unless it was to tease the crown prince) but I actually enjoyed his character and thought he was an amazing friend to the main leads. Lastly, I want to address the I know the King was annoying to some but I actually greatly enjoyed him as a character. Yes, we are seeing weak kings crop up quite often when the drama circles around a Crown Prince main lead but I felt his character was a bit more lovable. There wasn't too much fault with any of the acting.

Okay, so, the story. We can all agree, as I said earlier, it was pretty much a Joseon version of Shopping King Louie, with the rich guy with amnesia, Nam Ji Hyun (lol bless her, always having to play these roles) finding her brother- I mean it is quite coincidental but hey I still love both. I actually enjoyed the story, I didn't really skip much and I am glad that they didn't add too much seriousness and conflict as it would take away how sweet this drama actually was, but not so little that we were sitting here thinking "ugh when is something actually going to happen". The only disappointment with the story, in my opinion, was towards the end. I definitely felt that the last episode was rushed and there was too much to do - start/end a war and also get the main leads together. Moreover, I was getting a little annoyed that Hong Shim was telling the Crown Prince that she didn't want to be with him! I think that they had been through enough shit together that they really deserved each other. I genuinely have no idea why the writers decided to make us go through that bs at the end when instead we could have got some more heartwarming scenes between the main leads to finish it all off.

Moo Young's death was expected on my part. The man literally had been shot by so many arrows through the series as well as so much pain that I was surprised they didn't kill him off sooner. I definitely did not want him to die in the slightest, I liked him a lot, but I think the fact he went through so much pain and then DIED - ugh it's so upsetting. This fact was so important to me I put it in its own paragraph lmao.

The music was lovely, it fitted the series well and familiar faces, or voices I should say, popped up on some of the tracks which was a treat. It was memorable at the time in which I watched the series and perhaps if I heard them again, but nothing really stuck in my mind. It was wonderful though. What was nice was that there wasn't music in many scenes which meant that the music never felt 'overplayed'.

I probably wouldn't rewatch this drama unless I was with one of my friends and trying to get them to watch it. That being said, I've only rewatched half of one series lol.

Overall, this drama was an absolute treat, I really enjoyed it and I do hope that you did too. Thank you for reading my review and I hope I didn't bore you too much.

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Rough path with some sweetness and the ending that lost focus…

A Shoulder to Cry On delivered quite a few good messages that would resonate with teens and young adults, and even a few lessons that can change the perspective of the adults, as long as they are willing to think about these topics after the episodes end. A nice step into a different direction in a well known high school set up.

That said, is this truly the deep and complex psychological story as some people claim it to be? Depends on what you compare it to. It’s not as sweet and silly as many high school and university BLs, and there is an attempt to add layers to the characters, especially on Tae Hyun’s side. So compared to other K-BLs, one could see it as something more. If you look at it in a broader manner, sadly it’s just another enemy to lovers trope with trauma as a cherry on top.

Yes, it does tackle some serious and important topics like childhood trauma, lack of emotional support, repressed feelings, guilt, resentment, forgiveness. Yet, all on surface level. It’s like a weather talk - just a starter for the conversation.

I think the biggest disappointment for me comes from how black and white they tried to present really complex situations and how fast they moved away from them without truly putting time and effort to give a proper resolution, which was especially obvious in the last two episodes. How to put it… it lacked nuance. It made me feel like the production team does not trust the audience to handle difficult topics so they made them as approachable and simple as possible. God forbid someone finishes an episode with conflicted feelings about the characters.

Personally, my favorite part of the plot was Da Yeol’s doubts about his path. It’s an issue most young people resonate with and many adults still struggle with. It was best written, paced and concluded part of the story and I wish the drama focused on it a little bit more.

Then we have the acting, which was fine during the teen daily life scenes, and questionable at best during the emotional scenes. There were a few moments I could see Shin Ye Chan tried to convey strong emotions, but it just did not translate on screen. Similar issues happened with more “heart wrenching” scenes from Kim Jae Han. Realistically speaking, for debut roles, these were quite challenging, so I’m; not exactly surprised by the end product.

Undoubtedly the production was a massive improvement compared to other short k-bls. Longer episodes allowed the story to have a more even pacing without too many things being painfully rushed (putting aside the final conclusions). While it still lacks in comparison to mainstream dramas, it’s on par with other web dramas, which is far better than what we’ve got until this point from Korean BLs.

Improvement from makeup artists needed though.

Overall, it’s great to see a longer format and I’m glad it was given to a story with an actual plot that at least attempted something more than “sweet teen romance”.

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Journeys end in lovers meeting.

Pearl Eclipse is adapted from a beautiful, dark and tragic novel Madame Huzhu 斛珠夫人 set in the Novoland universe. It is an unforgettable and heartbreaking story about guilt, obsession, love and the futile struggle against fate that inextricably entangles the three main protagonists Fang Jianming, Emperor Dixu and Fang Haishi. Although the plot and many characterisations deviate markedly from the novel, the core message that we can choose our destiny but cannot overcome fate remains. Although not quite as dark as the novel, this is an angst filled, tortured tale about tragically flawed characters that won't appeal to everyone.

The novel has heavy BL elements to it and the incredibly dark, complicated and almost parasitical relationship between Dixu and Jianming is quite well portrayed in the drama. It is by far the most uniquely fascinating relationship in this drama because they are so entangled neither has free will. Poor Haishi, hers was a lost cause from the start because Jianming already was inextricably bonded to Dixu by ties far more powerful than the baixi. Their depth of shared history and sorrow and Jianming's sense of guilt and his obsession with putting Humpty Dumpty together again are practically insurmountable challenges. And to Jianming's credit, while undoubtedly tempted, he avoids Haishi's many overtures because he already pledged himself to Dixu.

The drama seems slow to start because it took all three leads a surprisingly long time to get into character and to convey the many layers of their intertwined backstories. This is made more difficult because their backstories are told in flashbacks which works well in novels but is harder to do onscreen when the actors are not in character. I don't think it is particularly fair to pick on only one of them but they are all rather seasoned actors so it is disappointing. Xu Kai Cheng overacted in the beginning and he and Chen Weiting were not connecting. Their unspoken rapport only becomes evident later on and that is when the drama starts to get interesting. Even though I find Chen Weiting incredibly handsome despite the terrible wig and enjoyed his performance overall, I don't think he managed to convey the multifaceted, fascinatingly complex character that is Fang Jianming. While he nails it as the archetypal ice-block, noble idiot shifu, a more daring and intense portrayal should have delivered a better glimpse into the dark ruthlessness, frustration and temptation that torments the character.

Haishi of the drama is well fleshed out and far better dimensioned than the novel. It is refreshing to see a brave, capable female character that speaks her mind and goes after her man relentlessly. And her outraged and shocked reaction to rejection just cracked me up because I am sure it is something that a flawless beauty like Yang Mi is personally not accustomed to. While Haishi and Jianming make for a stunning couple, their chemistry emerges slowly and it does fall far short of the sizzle of TMOPB. This is partly because it is supposed to be a hidden, taboo romance; one that is so incredibly ill fated that knowing better, Jianming avoids; while true to her nature, Haishi rushes recklessly headlong into. As much as I applaud Yang Mi for doing her own voice work here, it is a mediocre performance that reflects years of neglect in this area on her part. She already naturally has a young and very feminine voice that should not have been made even younger and quite so girlish. It does not fit the role of a woman passing herself off as a man and it conjures up uncomfortable images with respect to this already forbidden romance. Although she improves towards the end, I can't help but think her usual voice dubber would have elevated her performance considerably.

While I do not like the way Tilan was written, she is the catalyst that enables the drama to take another path. But it is unfair to have practically all of Dixu's darkness heaped upon her and their relationship got so toxic I struggled with the turn around, in particular on her part. She also seemed a lot stronger and smarter in the beginning where she passively aggressively standsup to Dixu. Unfortunately her character was truly thrown under the bus to enable the end outcome. Zhuoying and Zheliu have the only non dysfunctional relationship in this drama that is a welcome relief but oddly boring at the same time.

What I like most about the adaptation is how it is faithful to the novel in terms of how it takes us down the path of the dark, hopeless entanglement between the three main protagonists and then turns it around. At the darkest moment, Haishi convinces Dixu to give himself a second chance which sets in motion an unwind of this vicious circle into a virtuous one. One change leads to another that reveals another layer of each character and get to see them change and grow into a formidable, united force against their enemies. It is a very strong message that we can choose our destiny, ie. how we live our lives and even though ultimately we may or may not be able to overcome fate, the journey is more important than the destination.

This is a very high value production with lavish costumes, sets and some intense and brilliantly choreographed action scenes, notably the epic battle reminiscent of Lord of the Rings at Hangguan Pass. Yet despite a few riveting action scenes, this is largely a character story with very little plot movement. Despite a few thrilling encounters especially in the early episodes, the various sub plots to overthrow the emperor Dixu are not properly fleshed out and don't tie well together. There are interesting villains in the book that get dumbed down to obvious cartoon characters with boring motives that can't even hide well in plain sight. The ending feels like it is missing scenes and beloved characters like Zhuoying and Zheliu's story is ended cursorily almost as an afterthought. The final plot is anti-climatic, predictable and completely premised on the stupidity of two characters. The plight of the mer-folk, their tears for pearls and how this fantasy story that begins and should end with them gets lost as a result of changes made to the character stories.

I have very mixed feelings about the ending. I think the most fitting way to end this is about 20 minutes into the penultimate episode (47) where journeys end in lovers meeting. The final episode and outcome for most of the couples are not deserved, made worse by a weak and rushed end plot that is not earned. They ought to have stopped while they were ahead. That said, Haishi and Jianming's final scene is both actors most moving and resonating performance in the entire drama. But while superficially the important aspects of the drama are faithful to the novel, the final product lacks the finesse, symmetry and haunting dark and cruel inevitably of the novel. The novel is fated and inexorable while the drama is fated and unnecessary. I rate this between 7.5-8.5; it will feel more like an 8.5 to those who stop ~20 minutes into episode 47.

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Unexpectedly good drama

It is  a great drama with cute and good chemistry between the main characters.Not gonna lie but this is one of my favourite drama.Even though the leads seem a little childish.
At a point it was a little serious with tae sung's past and revenge plot.I loved the part were GTS pick on OHB because of his embarrassment.
The people in the story works very hard to create good image of the actors and this also shows a good amount of problems faced in the entertaiment industry.

STORYLINE/PLOT
Like other romcom it is based on entertainment industry.The male is an actor and female lead is a PR head who cleans up the mess.It has a lawyer working together with FL who likes FL.Both fl and ml were college mates and have love/hate relationship.There are Ml's manager and another manager working in the same company.Ml's manager has a great relationship with the ml except for a point where their relationship becomes little strained.
And there are characters who work on the drama in which ml is the main actor.There is some relationship  problem between ml and his mom who is an ex actress who wants to resolve their issues from the past as she becomes ill.
There are some other plots where some people who hate ml try to sabotage his acting career.Some scenes you will be laughing like a hell and many times you will feel sad for th MC.

CAST
Honestly I didn't expect much from this and started this because I had free time and ended up loving this show. I saw Kim young dae in Penthouse and lee sung kyung in dr romantic 2 .I felt like they were tailor made  for this drama 

REASONS TO WATCH
-Good chemistry between the leads
-Slight bromance
-Good friendship
-Funny
-Some quirky humors

REASONS TO NOT WATCH
-Annoying family plot
-Unwanted revenge plot
-Scheming housekeeper

This drama is definitely worth watching with good chemistry between the ml and fl lead .It had a good amount of humor , family relationship and show a side of suffering for main actors.I think you won't regret watching it.

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Realistic romance-action drama

I am really shocked to see low-scoring reviews for this drama. It has everything you want. It has bromance, romance, and action. The acting is great. Both lead and support actors/actresses are nailing their parts. The pace of the drama is realistic. It is a modern drama, and as a result, nothing magically happens. It takes time for emotions to be developed and mature.
If you follow the pace of the drama, you will cherish every little development between the leads. I believe people who drop this drama or don't find it satisfying are the ones who are skipping along the episodes and missing important hints.
My advice is to take your time watching this drama, experience the lead's ups and downs with them, and you will have a magical time riding their emotional waves. This is a masterpiece.

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5 reasons to watch Fighting Mr. Second

I am absolutely in love. Literally. I usually never write reviews or for that matter watch shows live or pay attention to the BTS stuff but this show grabbed my attention and never let go. It will forever hold a place in my most memorable and favorite dramas not just a BL

1 - Cast/Chemistry

The whole cast is pretty great, from YU’s eyes that break heart to Chih Tian Shih whose monologue left everyone in tears. But the stand out will always be Sam Lin, he is just amazing at making you feel exactly what Shi De is feeling. Who knew a “Hi” could be that sad.

Also there chemistry is undeniable. Whether it’s the angry scenes, sweet ones or smexy times there is always a kind of tension between the 2 mains. They just feel so natural together and never felt forced or overdone.

2 - The Mains

Shu Yi - I love this dramatic baby. He is a force of nature, selfish, arrogant but in such a cute way that you can’t help but root for him in the end. I love that he never backs down from Shi De, always challenges him at his level and calls him out on his crap.
Goa Shi De - I think he is my overall favourite character. He was originally going to be more macho and aggressive but with the input of Sam they changed him to agreeable, bendable , humble and accepting. I think the writer (of the show) said it best when she said that Shi De’s biggest flaw is he’s always been the pioneer in his relationship with Shu Yi and feels like he should go out first to clear the way of obstacles but he underestimated Shu Yi ability to catch up to him so he made mistakes. He holds everything inside and when he explodes it left me in tears of sympathy.

3 - Storyline

The story is quite simple for the most part, it’s about the after of the happy ending. In season one we see Shi De and Sho Yi finally get together but what happens after that? Can young love in all its immaturity conquer insecurity, distance, pride, misunderstandings and get to a more mature place? When you’ve been hurt by your most trusted one, is possible to let go of angry in order to forgive? Can you withstand your partner’s hurt and hatred to earn the forgiveness? Are you willing to walk hand in hand instead of always being the strong one that shows no weakness? These are main conflicts.

At first I didn’t think I was gonna like this as much as the 1st season because the “misunderstanding” troupe is so damn over used but if you roll with it and stick with the characters, the internal reasoning from episode 4 allows you to sympathize with the real why.

One of the shows flaw is focusing on the Alpha plot at the second part of the drama and cutting out the emails scenes that many felt was a necessity. However I felt like the director did the Alpha plot to show the mains working together in a common goal to show a glimpse of what there future working together is like. And it also was a vehicle for Pei Shou Yi and Yu Zhen Xuan to be in each other orbits again.

4 - Music

The music in this show is actually really good, only rivaled by ITTSAY as my favourite BL soundtrack. Usually I find the music overused and distracting because sometimes it doesn’t go with the scene it’s in (I’m looking at you Love by chance and Tharntype). But here it fit the theme of the season because it’s slightly bluezy/moody and YU has a beautiful voice.

5 - Side Characters

I actually don’t really every like multiple couple stories in general because it draws too much time away from the main couples storylines especially in shorter dramas. But here they gave us interesting side story between Pei Shou Yi and Yu Zhen Xuan that was just enough to make me want to see where there story goes in there spin off series without annoying me with too much screen time. I ended up falling in love in Yu Zhen Xuan in episode 6.

Will I rewatch this drama? Yes it’s now cemented in my heart as 1 of my favs. Should you? I say don’t hesitate, some people might find it not as fluffy as the first season or can’t overlook some flaws but give it try cause it might surprise you.

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I lost braincells watching this

I think my main issue with this series is that Nhai is so unrealistically brainless. His childishness has been an issue for me since EP1 and I feel like no character development occurred. The dialogue was ridiculous (though this could have been a subtitle issue because I felt that they got progressively worse).

Ai and Nhai are cute, don't get me wrong, and I like their little gang but really what was the point of this series? 12 episodes and barely anything happened. If I was more invested in the characters maybe I would have appreciated the constant fluff but they had no depth despite several plot points being presented yet not explored.

This would have been better as a short series with maybe half the amount of episodes... Don't waste your time.

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NO SPOILER Miss detective wants to take the lead. Beware of unrequited lovers from second arc.

The story : Two people who hate each other are forced to get married. And to work together to solve cases.
As they do, they are gradually drawn to one another. Will love or hate wins ?

Pros:
- Strong clever detective Female Lead.
- Strong clever military Male Lead.
- It is the first time I have seen a heroine, daughter of a concubine, who is loved by her entire family and not bullied. Not a cliché. Yes (*_*)
- Chemistry is fire and the settings make it even more beautiful to watch.
- Characterisation is outstanding for Male Lead (Ding Yu Xi) who looks very manly as the great Shen Du.
- The inquiry is very good. Complex and involving many people. I try to guess the outcome as it progresses but I have a hard time doing so.
- Comedy is just great between the leads. I hope they had more comedic scenes.
- Cinematography is great.
- Action scenes are worth watching. There are few but when performed, OMG they blew my mind. Especially with Male Lead. I am still in shock (*_*)
- Overall the story is good and entertaining.


Cons:
- The mystery unfolds piece by piece and it can disturb some viewers. But like in Agatha Christie's novels, you end-up getting the answer.
- Misunderstandings (who is Male Lead, who is Female Lead, what they do on their own...).
Sometimes they don't communicate enough.
- I don't like childish Female voice dubbing. Guess what ? The Female Lead's best friend has one. *sight*
- Female Lead is not perfect, her many flaws could spoil your fun.
- Lots of unrequited lovers from the second arc for almost every cast member. This should be titled "conspiracy in love island" o_O

Overall :
I like the investigation and the romance.
The investigation was very complex, a lot of clues were shown to give hints in order to know who the main antagonist is. So by paying attention to the early episodes you migt be able to decypher who it is.
The bickering romance was enjoyable generally speacking. You have to stand FL's temper sometimes but at the end the love story is beautiful and Shen Du is the bright light in this show. He carries it like the titan atlas who do with the heavens. He is just marvellous. Special mention to Yan Xing who stayed witty till the very end. And that's great for a female lead.
This is a good drama. So I recommend it if you like case solving duo with strong Leads. You might like it.

And the OST is great.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLjFuY9p48E

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I'll start my review with this: <3<3<3<3<<3<3<3<<3<3<3<3<3!

Ok, let's go now: Healer is the best drama I have watched in my two years of watching dramas. I am absolutely speechless, actually I have so much to say and I don't know where should I begin. I'm not biased or something like that because I started this drama out of pure curiosity, I didn't even know JCW and YJT existed(shame on me, stupid girl) and I wasn't fond of PMY's acting. However, the three of them did such a good job portraying their characters and overwhelmed me completely. JCW became my first favorite actor because his acting is simply brilliant, I've never seen a Korean actor before him who's able to portray emotions so perfectly, switching constantly (He played Healer and geek Park Bong Soo). His eyes are expressing every single one of his feelings, I just focus on his eyes and I can read his mind, just perfect. PMY also surprised me (like I said she didn't make impact on me with her acting before) but she was so amazing here, her character Chae Yong Shin suited her so well that it is unbelievable, her chemistry with JCW is something you can't see every day, they are the best couple I've seen in dramas, maybe even in shows generally. That love in Healer was portrayed so beautifully, so intense, so perfect!! Every their interaction made my heart skip a beat, they don't even have to touch, their looking at each other tells you everything! And when they touch I feel like going insane, I've never felt that way before watching some couple in a drama. but this couple is something else. Also, other actors like Do Ji Won who played CYS's mum Myung Hee, Park Sang Won as Kim Moon Shik etc did an awesome job too! Every single character in this drama was portrayed so good, even the ''bad ones'' like Kim Moon Shik and his secretary were interesting to watch because they are not the usual drama-like bad characters who ruin everything, they had their own characteristics which they are known for like every human being, so they were also intriguing. Everything in this drama was done so perfectly I can't even explain it here properly, even If I used so many words.. Plot done by a perfect writer Song Ji Na, acting, OST.. If you haven't seen this drama believe me and start right now, you won't regret it, you'll actually be thankful to God and me, and other people who recommend it. :)

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Love the story (mostly) and characters, but it is not flawless for sure

Apart from the fact that the series is adapted from a BL work, I see no reason it would be taken down. In fact, suggestions of BL are few and far between even though the relationship between the two main characters approaches the intensity of romance.

I think the story has some basic changes from the original work, but the story in the series is pretty strong overall. It is highly engaging as the characters enter the virtual world represented by one door after another. The progress in the dangers of the different levels of the virtual reality game is also nicely calibrated. But the story would have been much less engaging had it not been for a group of interesting and likable characters that the audience will care about. A case in point is the character, Tan Zaozao, a female actress who starts off being a character one doesn't take seriously but ends up with one we might cry over.

It is a little ironic that a series that toes the line in so many ways is taken down after an hour, with most attributing the cause to censorship. If one has no idea that the series is based on a BL work, one might not even imagine that there is any romance going on between the main characters. No doubt, there is a strong bond between them, but it could either be a strong friendship or romantic interest that never really gets a chance to be expressed. I would even say that one of the major flaws of the series is how it toes the line politically, making it thematically simplistic. In the series, it is none too subtly suggested that America = Capitalist = Evil. (No prizes for guessing which country it is antithetical to.)

As a critique of capitalism, what the characters say may make sense at a certain level. However, it is a different matter to posit that evil Western capitalists will go out of their way to corrupt a virtual reality game (or some sort of game where the line between the virtual and the real is blurred) and fill it with violence. Look, in the series, it is not as though the capitalists can make money when:

1. people who start playing the game have no choice but to continue--they can simply go through any door and be transported to one of the worlds of the game even if they do not wish to play and presumably even if they are too poor to pay to continue playing the game.

2. people who die in the game also die in real life, so they cannot continue playing (even if we assume that they have to pay each time they play)--and it it VERY easy to die in the game.

3. people actually actively discuss the game on the Internet and it is quite possible for the game to gain such a bad reputation that not many are adventurous to even start playing it

4. such a game must take an immense amount of energy to power even if it were technologically possible: which profiteering capitalist will foot the bill?

Another issue here is the pitting of the main characters against the agenda of the evil capitalists. You mean as long as the main characters triumph, the evil capitalists won't be able to replicate an older, corrupt version of the game that can cause people to die?

I suspect the original work is more coherent than this, but alas, it probably runs into censorship issues. But if only someone had the foresight to see that the series would be catapulted to the status of a cult classic because it would be taken down after one hour of release, perhaps a decision could have been made to stay more faithful to the original work.

In the last couple of episodes, the series becomes quite perplexing. It does not make sense to have an "it was all a dream" sort of ending, especially one that ends up being self-contradictory. There are at least three key interpretations we are invited to consider:

1. It was all a "dream"--ok, but why would Ling Jiu Shi's dream reveal to him the names and even personalities of people he sees after the dream and not before, and why isn't Ruan Lan Zhu amongst these people?

2. The game has started earlier than Ling Jiu Shi realizes at first, but when he completes the game, he is transported to maybe 15 minutes after the start of the game. This would mean that all the so-called real-life characters for most of the episodes are game characters. Ok, but why are these characters so similar to random people Ling Jiu Shi later sees around.

3. Ling Jiu Shi is still in the game (not mutually exclusive with 2). Maybe there is a challenge he must overcome. Who knows? He chooses to spend the next 50 years creating a replica of the game (presumably without the awful parts) or basically Ruan Lan Zhu and other people he cares about during the previous 70+ episodes we see him. Ultimately, though, this seems to be an act of self-deception... it it suggested that no matter how real we make the virtual world or "merge" it with the real world, we can escape the fact that our physical bodies age in the real world. That is unless we ditch our physical bodies (die physically) and upload ourselves into the virtual world (which can be sustained by god knows what)... I guess this is one way of achieving a happily-ever-after for our leads. Then again, it is a solution that involves cutting oneself off from the people in a different realm.

I think the series makes things unnecessarily complicated and not quite in a purposeful way. This is where it falters despite being a really engaging series to watch about 95% of the time.

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Pretty but soulless

The Silent Sea seems to have all the right ingredients, from premise to set design to casting, but unfortunately somehow failed to truly grab my full attention.
I don’t consider my time with this show wasted at all, I did sit through all eight episodes in three days after all, but this is not a drama I see myself ever coming back to nor thinking about ever again

Visually speaking, this is a very impressive show. Probably the most expensive-looking Asian drama I have ever watched. The CGI definitely didn’t disappoint. And yet, for the most part, the cinematography didn’t leave a strong impression on me. Not implying that it was bad, not at all, I consider this to be a pretty visually stimulating drama, but it wasn’t anything more than competent. None of the shots felt bland or flat per-se but I can’t shake off the feeling, that The Silent Sea just lacked a certain something. Nice to look at, but not particularly interesting. The only thing I can say with certainty is that this show is dark, thematically, but also literally at many parts. So dark in fact, that at many points I was having real difficulties figuring out what was going on. That can be a stylistic choice of course, but I still don’t feel like it was an exactly smart one.

However, in my opinion, the biggest fault of the drama lies in the characters, which I couldn’t bring myself to really care about. For starters, I thought that many of them were too similar in personality. But I also just failed to connect with anyone emotionally. I don’t think that the actors are at fault here, if anything I was more than pleased with everyone’s performance, but it seems like The Silent Sea didn’t leave any room to showcase human emotion. For the most part, I don’t feel like we got to know anybody. There were very few scenes where I got a clear image of the crew’s dynamic with each other. I don’t need media to have banter and funny and witty one-liners every second scene, in a Marvel-movie-fashion, but I still needed something, anything from The Silent Sea that would have convinced me that these are truly individual people with their individual flaws, strengths, quirks, aspiration, and dreams.

Plot-wise I think this show was fine. The premise was what originally attracted me and the twists and turns kept me engaged, but I really do feel like a story can only be as strong as its characters and unfortunately, this drama just missed the mark here.

Please don't read this and conclude that I consider this to be a bad drama, I truly don't but it didn't really leave me feeling anything. It didn't make me smile (which, considering the genre, was to be expected), it didn't make me sad, it didn't frighten me, it didn't even really make me think about anything much.

Would I recommend The Silent Sea? Kinda a tough question. Personally speaking, it didn’t hit the spot, but I also feel like this might come down to a personal preference in genres. If you like science-fiction, violence, and (most importantly) cool-looking space-stuff, I’m sure you’ll have a field day with this. If you’re looking for a more emotional experience, maybe skip this one.

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I've seen lots of dramas and yet this is my first review. The reason I chose to write it for this drama is because of how great it is. I always anticipated the release of a new episode, and would download it on Netflix to watch offline any chance I got. During long commutes to school or work, even for study "breaks".

It's plot and characters are so well developed, that you fall in love with every character, whether they were an officer, citizen, victim, or suspect (trying to keep this review spoiler free). It shows the realities of officers and the daily struggles of both becoming a part of the force and staying in it. It removes the romanticized notion of the job of a cop, as it shows the frustrating and devastating moments as well as the miracles of life. It truly gives you a new perspective of life hence the name of the drama.

This is the only drama I found myself crying right at the beginning of the episodes, and crying nonstop right until the end of every single episode. This drama humbles you in ways you never imagined, and helps the viewer to appreciate the meaning of life. While I gave everything else a score of 10 (5 stars) I gave rematch value a 9.0 because I normally don't rewatch dramas anyways (unless it's little clips of them) but this one I feel I would want to rewatch in the future, but only once I've recovered from seeing it the first time. That being said, I've also never laughed as hard and out loud while watching a drama before.

I want to thank everyone who played a part in the creation of this masterpiece, for I genuinely enjoyed every second of the drama 'Live'.

P.S. While I often find myself watching an action or mystery drama, my preference usually is a good rom com. There is just the right amount of romance in this drama as well to make your heart flutter and your stomach feel butterflies. Of course I had to download the soundtrack because of my babes EXO, but all the songs are really amazing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

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So English yet so Korean...

U know that one thing that is different about kdramas that you cannot find in other dramas all around the world. That vibe, feel that is hard to define but it is there. Yes, that is what I find the most in this movie. This movie is so Korean yet so English, one can only understand this after watching it. This masterpiece is unforgettable and has a very realistic ending. The eye contact between the leads is my favorite part of this movie.
And of course, this is the best movie of the year...
So don't contemplate whether to watch it or not and just watch it.

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